Navantia UK has switched its Arnish, Methil and Appledore shipyards to 100% certified renewable electricity, supplied by the community-owned Point and Sandwick Trust (PST) wind farm on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides working in partnership with Engie Supply UK.
The new supply will come largely from PST’s Beinn Ghrideag wind farm, the UK’s largest community-owned wind farm, which sits just over two miles from Navantia UK’s Arnish yard near Stornoway. The wind farm generates over 20GWh of power a year, of which around a third will be required to fulfil Navantia’s requirements. The agreement was formally signed today and represents a significant partnership between a major UK manufacturing business and one of the country’s most successful community-owned renewable energy projects. With the latest agreement in place, every Navantia UK site, including Belfast, now runs on certified renewable electricity.
The switch will cut the combined carbon emissions of the three yards by 28%, a significant step towards Navantia’s commitment to reach Scope 1 and 2 carbon neutrality by 2040. All renewable supply under the new contract is backed by Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGO) certification.
The agreement also keeps the benefit of that spending close to home. Point and Sandwick Trust is a community-owned charity that reinvests all its profits from Beinn Ghrideag back into the local area, funding local facilities, employment, education, environmental projects and measures to tackle fuel poverty. By drawing its electricity through this route, Navantia UK is directly supporting the communities around its Arnish yard, an area recognised within the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. The decision to award the contract to Point and Sandwick Trust reflects Navantia UK’s ambitions in the regions where it operates, pairing investment in advanced manufacturing with real social and environmental value.
Dr Calum MacDonald, Founder and Director of Point and Sandwick Trust, said of the deal, “We can take great pride that our community-owned turbines are going to be supplying green energy not just to Arnish, a yard that has been a key source of local employment since the 1970s, but also the majority of power consumed at Navantia yards from the Outer Hebrides to North Devon.
“The scale of our output and our ability to win such contracts in a highly competitive market may surprise some but I hope it demonstrates that community energy can deliver and compete on the big stage. We are grateful to Navantia and our sales partner, Engie Supply UK, in working with us to deliver this contract. I hope that it encourages other communities in the UK to raise their ambitions so that we can release the full potential of community-owned green power across the whole country.”
Donato Martínez, CEO of Navantia UK, said, “This is the right decision for our business, for the environment and for the communities where we operate. As we continue to invest in our UK yards and transform them into some of the most modern shipbuilding and fabrication facilities in Europe, we want the way we power them to reflect the values that underpin that investment.
“What makes this agreement particularly special is its local impact. The renewable electricity powering our Arnish yard is generated just a few miles away by a community-owned wind farm, meaning that the benefits of our energy use are helping to support jobs, facilities and opportunities across the Western Isles.
“Navantia UK is committed to building a more sustainable future, not only through the ships and infrastructure we deliver, but through the way we operate every day. This agreement is another important step on that journey.”
Energy Minister Michael Shanks said, “After two fossil fuel crises in just five years, it is clear: businesses like Navantia UK are turning to clean, homegrown power – not just because it’s better for the climate, but because it lowers their bills and drives growth.
“This is what the clean power mission looks like in practice: British industry powered by Hebridean wind, and the benefits flowing back to the communities that generate that power.”
Photo of Beinn Ghrideag commuity wind farm
Credit: SandiePhotos